Birthday fight
by Lost Lantean
Summary: I'm glad you enjoyed your birthday," Jeremy said "but next year I'm winning." Aelita smirked playfully, "You're on mister. And don't think I'm letting you off so easily when I win next year." JxA


Aelita squinted as she searched the clear blue sky for her prey. While the matt, military grey painting on that covered most of the fuselage and wings did a reasonable job of hiding his aircraft, the red highlights the red wingtip fuel tanks should have made it easier for her to catch sight of him. On the other hand, at the long range they would use to start the battle, his plane would be awfully small. Still, she had to find him, she had been out-smarted at the beginning of an earlier battle and she was determined not to have it happen again.

She angled towards the sun and search the sky in its direction briefly before turning her head away, her vision suffering the after effects of looking too close to the sun. She began to fret. Jeremy was after her; he was hunting her, and though he had no more experience with air-to-air combat than she had, his highly logical intellect was proving an immense advantage for the opening salvo. She couldn't give up as she scanned the sky, but he obviously had the advantage right now. All she could without radar and without visual contact was hope her instincts and reflexes would be enough. The fact that they had been in the past was a bit of a comfort.

A glint caught her attention and her gut told her that it wasn't friendly. She slammed the throttle to the firewall, the engine responding with a hardy roar as the propeller bit into the air with every bit of the Lycoming's 260 horsepower. Pushing the joystick forward to dive, she felt herself lift out of her seat as the altimeter began to spin and the blue sky in front of her changed to the sandy brown of the desert floor. Ignoring the sensation of floating from the negative G's she was pulling, she pulled the joystick to the right tom hopefully, roll out of Jeremy's line of fire.

She could easily imagine the yellow streaks of tracers flying by just to her left, missing her by a hair. Maybe it was her imagination, but she could hear her boyfriend-turned-adversary swear under his breath as his precisely calculated attack run failed. But she couldn't let it distract her as she pulled back hard on the stick to halt the dive.

Sky again filled the canopy as her body went from lighter than air to heavier than a boulder. Shoved hard into her seat and fighting to avoid being pressed into the left side of the canopy by her acceleration, she pulled the stick back to the left to cancel out the spin. Sweat dripped off her brow as she pulled the stick back still harder, intent on completing a loop. Her head was on a swivel as she looked for the other plane, hoping to be able to catch Jeremy by surprise.

Jeremy pulled out of his dive, cursing under his breath at having lost the perfect attack. His initial assault foiled by her quick maneuver, he rolled his plane over, the corkscrew maneuver giving his stomach fits as the changing set of forces played havoc with his sense of balance. But, as his instructor had predicted, he wasn't pushed to the point of actually being sick since he was in control of the airplane. Crushed into his seat, he began to push the throttle level forward as he matched Aelita's climb, hoping to get another shot at her.

Following her through her loop, he decided to get aggressive on the down slope and set up to intercept her. He nosed down to put her into his gunsights and watched with surprise as she suddenly pulled up and her speed dropped precipitously. He made the quick calculation and plunged the stick forward to steepen his descent into a dive while at the same time rolling to her right and grabbing for the throttle lever to reduce the power. His vision tinted red as the sudden negative G's forced blood to his head. He ignored the unpleasant sensation, holding the dive just long enough to be certain there was no danger of collision before pulling up smoothly. Beside him, his instructor grunted in satisfaction with the recovery.

Aelita let her plane stall out before recovering by nosing the plane downward and adding engine power. She knew she couldn't keep relying on seat of the pants maneuvers to save her though, that if she didn't get a handle on this fight soon, she'd lose it. She pushed the airplane into a fast climb at full power, hoping that she would get the altitude advantage over Jeremy. Keeping her head on a proverbial swivel, she spied Jeremy making a graceful turn in her direction at almost the same altitude. Needing to spare herself from being such easy prey, she abruptly turned, jarring herself and her instructor as the seatbelts caught them both. She held the turn for only a few seconds then made another rough turn in the opposite direction. She stomped down on the left rudder pedal, causing her plane to skid across the sky and Jeremy to lose her for a moment as he struggled to keep up with erratic maneuvering.

Sweat beaded on her forehead and she blinked it out of her eyes before deciding to take a chance. She made an abrupt climb, pulling the stick so hard that her vision began to go grey. The airframe groaned in protest and the airspeed indicator spiraled down while the engine struggled to pull the plane higher in it's now vertical orientation. She held on as the shrill tone of the stall warning indicator rang in her ears and the instructor's body tensed as he readied himself to end this maneuver. She banked on both herself and her instructor having more tolerance for G-forces than Jeremy would.

Jeremy followed suit with Aelita, his analytical mind wondering what exactly she had planned. The maneuver itself was suicide, he was at a similar altitude and airspeed but far enough away that he didn't need to match her climb to get a shot. There had to be another reason...

Aelita felt the plane shudder as its speed dropped away. Pretty soon she would be in free fall and would be scrambling to recover control. But she wasn't already 'dead' and that was good. With a rough push, she began the recovery, bringing the plane's nose down as her airspeed neared zero.

Jeremy snapped out of his wonder as Aelita's plane nosed down and began to plummet towards the ground. He followed her, his body floating free of the seat and held back by the restraints, his stomach contents threatening to escape forcibly. Blood rushed to his head and his vision again tinted red as he followed Aelita down, squeezing off shots every once in a while when it looked like her plane crossed his sights.

Aelita banked her plane from side to side and used the rudder to slide as she dove towards the barren desert ground and suffered from the effects of the intense negative G-force she was under. Chancing a look over her shoulder, she saw Jeremy giving up the chase and prepared herself.

Jeremy pulled out of his chase dive and sighed with relief as the forces on his body returned to normal. He had the altitude advantage as he banked slightly to keep Aelita in view while his body recovered.

Aelita pulled up hard and crashed back into her seat, glad to be free of the gritty texture and reddish vision of the negative G-force even as the positive G's she was pulling tried to crush her small body.

Jeremy banked hard when he saw Aelita turn and begin ascending rapidly towards him. He rammed the throttle to the wall and banked wildly to escape.

Aelita twisted her plane as he banked, but she knew him too well. She predicted his path, knowing that he wouldn't have the stomach to make another high-G maneuver right now. She felt sort of guilty for taking advantage as she squeezed the trigger.

Jeremy's stick shook and the light, playful and happy feminine voice that was rendered slightly raspy by the radio told him what he already knew. "Bang, you're dead."

Aelita laughed as she let go of the transmit button and took a look at the fuel gauge. They had reached the time limit of this engagement and it was time to go back to the ground. Heaving a sad sigh, she keyed the mic again, "bingo fuel, time to head back."

Jeremy looked at his own fuel gauge. _Not quite, but not enough for another fight_, he thought to himself. "Roger that. Since you won, you may lead the way."

Aelita turned back towards the airport and Jeremy formed up behind her, regretting that she had won three out of the five engagements.

[[]]

Back on the ground, her Marchetti SF-260 safely parked in its allotted spot, Aelita looked back down at the old fashioned cockpit, at the once bewildering array of dials and gauges and switches from another era. Her fighter was, technically, just a trainer designed to get pilots familiar with tactics and forces of dog-fighting before they moved on to the jet fighters that any modern airforce would field. But in a way, the analog gauges and lack of missiles and radar made the whole thing feel more real. There was no blaming the radar; you had to trust your own eyes to find the enemy. No push of the button and bye bye enemy, you had to jockey for position and fight close in. For all her relatively limited combat experience in the Skid, this was much different and so much better.

She turned away from the cockpit and fixed her gaze on Jeremy, catching him looking back on the plane that was his for the past few hours with a longing expression. He may have been hot, sweaty and tired underneath his flight suit, but she could see from his gait that he was still flying high off the experience. She smiled both at him as he approached, and at the look he gave the fighter he was walking away from. It may have been her birthday present, but he had enjoyed this every bit as much as she had. He looked down as she linked her hand with his, then raised his eyes and turned his head to look at her. "Congratulations."

"Thanks." Aelita replied cordially. "You did really well up there, and you had me sweating more than I'd care to admit." She chuckled and wiped at her forehead for emphasis.

Jeremy beamed, pride showing through his expression and bearing, "You're welcome, and I'm glad I was able to give you a challenge."

Aelita punched his arm playfully, "you should be." Her expression became mischievous and her voice low, "So... what do I win?"

Jeremy gulped and looked forward, to the hanger and the building that would offer a respite from the hot desert air. "Whatever you want from me," Jeremy answered slightly shyly. Aelita only smirked in response, enjoying making Jeremy wonder just what she had in mind. She still hadn't told him as they rolled away from the Air Combat USA building with the tapes of their fight, and as they rode back towards the hotel with Jeremy's parents, she deflected questions on the bet with her trademark sly and slightly evil smile. She could see the amusement on his parent's faces as their son squirmed beside her and enjoyed all the trust that his parents had come to place on the both of them over the years.

[[]]

Later that evening, Jeremy faced the music quite literally. Of all the things Aelita could have done, making him come to a teen club and sing on stage was fairly mild, even if he had to do it alone and on stage in front of a crowd. She had encouraged him, reminding him that she had performed for much larger audiences than this. But still, he was nervous as looked around the room and at the crowd it contained. He guessed that there were close to a hundred people crowded inside, some sitting at tables, some milling around the bar, others waiting to dance in an open area. He almost wished the bar actually served alcohol, even though he knew it was a poor substitute for real courage.

He looked around the room one more time before starting the song, his gaze settling on the table holding his entire group of friends. Ulrich and Yumi sitting close to one another while his parents clapped politely. Aelita sat beside Yumi, her chair turned to face the stage and she smiled when she noticed him looking at her. He didn't see Odd though, at least not at first. He found the boy sitting at an adjacent table, most likely flirting with the redheaded female he was next to. He smiled slightly, the sight of Odd being Odd helping to relieve him of some of his nervousness. He tapped the control to start his song and returned his attention to Aelita, focusing on her to help him get started. The song he'd chosen for began, its slow, soft cords playing out for the opening.

Words appeared on the teleprompter and, just as he'd practiced, he sang them to the audience, starting off in a low, shy voice.

_When you feel all alone  
>And the world has turned its back on you<br>Give me a moment please to tame your wild wild heart  
>I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you<br>It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold  
>When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore<em>

Aelita listened as he sang, and considered the song he'd chosen. It seemed to fit the two of them almost perfectly, through their fights and struggles it was most often Jeremy she could rely on. Even though it was now two years in the past, the bonds that started as a result of his rescue efforts were as strong as they ever were. She smiled up at him, and noted that his was voice growing louder and more confident with each line.

_Let me be the one you call  
>If you jump I'll break your fall<br>Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
>If you need to fall apart<br>I can mend a broken heart  
>If you need to crash then crash and burn<br>You're not alone_

She blinked back the tear in her eye as he sang, and wondered how she would have managed without him. It seemed that whenever she needed support and comfort or just the reassurance that nothing was out of her reach, he was there to offer it. He had helped her heal after the loss of her father had helped her take to the skies and had always made sure she was provided for.

_When you feel all alone  
>And a loyal friend is hard to find<br>You're caught in a one way street  
>With the monsters in your head<br>When hopes and dreams are far away and  
>You feel like you can't face the day<em>

The emotion in Jeremy's voice went mostly unnoticed by the crowd, but to her it was unmistakably directed inward. She locked eyes with him, knowing how much those lines meant to him. As much as he had given to her, she had given back to Jeremy in other ways. Helping him to find and hold on to his friends, helping him fight past the shyness and mistrust of the world so that he could enjoy all it had to offer. Jeremy's parents gave her a knowing smile, and she began to sing the next set of lines along with Jeremy. Starting off quietly, her voice gradually got louder as she continued.

_Let me be the one you call  
>If you jump I'll break your fall<br>Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
>If you need to fall apart<br>I can mend a broken heart  
>If you need to crash then crash and burn<br>You're not alone_

She got up in the very short space between the lines and wandered towards the stage, still singing along with her boyfriend.

_'Cause there has always been heartache and pain  
>And when it's over you'll breathe again<br>You'll breathe again_

She stepped onto the raised stage platform and walk to Jeremy's side.

_When you feel all alone  
>And the world has turned its back on you<br>Give me a moment please  
>To tame your wild wild heart<em>

She leaned her head close to Jeremy's so that the microphone would capture her voice along with his.

_Let me be the one you call  
>If you jump I'll break your fall<br>Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
>If you need to fall apart<br>I can mend a broken heart  
>If you need to crash then crash and burn<br>You're not alone_

Couples danced slowly to the song on the dance floor, a few of the girls looking enviously at the couple on stage as they sang. It didn't really matter that both teens were now singing more to each other than to the crowd.

_Let me be the one you call  
>If you jump I'll break your fall<br>Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
>If you need to fall apart<br>I can mend a broken heart  
>If you need to crash then crash and burn<br>You're not alone_

The waning lines of the song began to fade, Jeremy and Aelita's voices lowering as the song faded out.

_Let me be the one you call  
>If you jump I'll break your fall<br>Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
>If you need to fall apart<br>I can mend a broken heart  
>If you need to crash then crash and burn<br>You're not alone_

For a moment there was only the lingering, faint sound of the teen's voices as they faded from the room and the closing notes of the song. Jeremy and Aelita looked around, the audience spellbound for a moment after the song ended, simply caught up in the sincerity conveyed by the two young voices on stage. With a slow roar, the crowd began to applaud, some even leaving their seats to do so.

On stage, the two teens looked out at the audience for a moment then bowed in acknowledgment. As one they turned to walk off and Aelita laid her head on Jeremy's shoulder as he slipped his hand into hers. "Jeremy?" Aelita murmured once the noise from the crowd quieted and they were out of sight of the audience.

"Yes?" Jeremy answered just loudly enough to be heard by her. He put an arm around her waist and enjoyed the simple feeling of closeness.

"You chose a good song."

He smiled, "I know."

"And Jeremy?"

"Yeah?"

Aelita picked up her head, now that they were well outside the view of the audience, and stepped in front of Jeremy, turning in the process so that she faced him. "Thank you for all of this." She held up a hand to forestall his protest. "I know your parents paid for most of it, but I also know you planned out everything and convinced them to. So thank you." She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Jeremy returned the gentle kiss and lovingly caressed her back, whispering "I'm glad you enjoyed your birthday," after they had separated. "But next year I'm winning."

Aelita smirked playfully, "You're on mister. And don't think I'm letting you off so easily when I win next year."

Jeremy could only laugh at the girl's boundless enthusiasm. Laugh, and be glad she was willing to share it with him.

* * *

><p>AN: I know you don't like the fanfare, but I can't help it. Happy birthday, and I sincerely hope you manage to enjoy at least some part of it, to you Commando Wolf.

The song is "Crash and Burn by Savage Garden.


End file.
